ChattanoogaPhil
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I fell asleep during the first hour. Is this going to be a Jericho with aliens?
Falling Skies
- Thread starter ChattanoogaPhil
- Start date
Red Jack
Member
Phil,
Have to ask "Chicken Little".
Have to ask "Chicken Little".
GatorFarmer
Member
It'll be on again through out the week. I watched the first half but had to deal with a three year old's melt down and missed the second. The DVR "taped" it (I'm old, so I still say "taped" instead of "recorded") so I can catch up later.
The vibe that they are going for - given the professor, the location, and the references in the script as well as comments by the cast - is more along the lines of the Revolutionary war revisited. Remember the old Disney show about the Swamp Fox?
Anyway, the Redcoats are replaced by aliens, and Tories are replaced by... er... people with biomechanical thingamajigs on their spines.
The set armorer and costume people look to have been clever. There's lot of ALICE gear, LBV88s, shown in use - exactly the sort of thing that would be sitting in storage and handed out to the "militia". Fun firearms spotted - Hal looked to have a Smith and Wesson revolver of M&P/Model 10 lineage in a WW2 style leather tanker holster. Also plainly to be seen are a No 4 Mk1 Enfield and the muzzle of an old Mauser is visible being carried. There's also an instory reference to how "two bullets in the clip of an old .45 automatic" saved the day in an encounter. Yay 1911.... Otherwise a plethora of AKs, ARs, H&K subguns, a folding stock Sig 550 series and even an UZI are seen in use alongside military weapons like an M2 .50 caliber and an M240/Mag58 GPMG.
The units have state names followed by a number, so this follows the system of how militia units were organized and saw action during the Civil War. In the story's timeline apparently the old 1790s militia law came in handy. (For those that don't know, if the Martians land, congrats - you've just been drafted. Most people are part of the "unorganized" militia and subject to call up in such a situation.)
The Professor also has a nice touch on his AK underfolder - it looks as though duct tape and presumably something like chair padding were used to make a recoil pad/lengthen the stock. Clever, and the sort of thing that you'll see in Africa and other places sometimes.
It was unclear to me whether or not Dale Dye's character was meant to still be on active duty. He had an ACU field jacket with name tape on it and alluded to service in the Gulf War. If I remember right, in time of national emergency all retired officers are (or can be) recalled to active duty though. (Technically this is part of what the pension is for, because you can still be recalled.)
The vibe that they are going for - given the professor, the location, and the references in the script as well as comments by the cast - is more along the lines of the Revolutionary war revisited. Remember the old Disney show about the Swamp Fox?
Anyway, the Redcoats are replaced by aliens, and Tories are replaced by... er... people with biomechanical thingamajigs on their spines.
The set armorer and costume people look to have been clever. There's lot of ALICE gear, LBV88s, shown in use - exactly the sort of thing that would be sitting in storage and handed out to the "militia". Fun firearms spotted - Hal looked to have a Smith and Wesson revolver of M&P/Model 10 lineage in a WW2 style leather tanker holster. Also plainly to be seen are a No 4 Mk1 Enfield and the muzzle of an old Mauser is visible being carried. There's also an instory reference to how "two bullets in the clip of an old .45 automatic" saved the day in an encounter. Yay 1911.... Otherwise a plethora of AKs, ARs, H&K subguns, a folding stock Sig 550 series and even an UZI are seen in use alongside military weapons like an M2 .50 caliber and an M240/Mag58 GPMG.
The units have state names followed by a number, so this follows the system of how militia units were organized and saw action during the Civil War. In the story's timeline apparently the old 1790s militia law came in handy. (For those that don't know, if the Martians land, congrats - you've just been drafted. Most people are part of the "unorganized" militia and subject to call up in such a situation.)
The Professor also has a nice touch on his AK underfolder - it looks as though duct tape and presumably something like chair padding were used to make a recoil pad/lengthen the stock. Clever, and the sort of thing that you'll see in Africa and other places sometimes.
It was unclear to me whether or not Dale Dye's character was meant to still be on active duty. He had an ACU field jacket with name tape on it and alluded to service in the Gulf War. If I remember right, in time of national emergency all retired officers are (or can be) recalled to active duty though. (Technically this is part of what the pension is for, because you can still be recalled.)
captorquewrench
Member
I liked it. it got me interested enough to want to see what happens next week.
Spielberg just did Super 8 with JJ Abrams. Now he's doing this. Interestingly, the aliens in Falling Skies look basically like small versions of the thing in Super 8. super 8 was a fun little movie.
Spielberg just did Super 8 with JJ Abrams. Now he's doing this. Interestingly, the aliens in Falling Skies look basically like small versions of the thing in Super 8. super 8 was a fun little movie.
Two hours of my life that I want back.
Well I guess I have no life anyway so that's why I watched it
Well I guess I have no life anyway so that's why I watched it
Win75
Member
I changed channels after the first twenty minutes. I should have done it sooner but there was nothing else on the other channels...and I have 250 of them. 
cmort666
Member
Lots of amusing firearms, including at least one PKM.
I'm more interested in the aliens and why they came in the first place. Arisakas and Zeros are interesting, but why the Japanese got themselves into a bind and ended up bombing Pearl Harbor is a lot more interesting.
I'm more interested in the aliens and why they came in the first place. Arisakas and Zeros are interesting, but why the Japanese got themselves into a bind and ended up bombing Pearl Harbor is a lot more interesting.
Thought it was a good time to weed the lawn.
mike from st pete
Member
Always the Aliens come to kick our butts and take over, why? After investing all those resources to travel all those lightyears just to steal our gold. Like the history teacher should say The Conquistadors are here and we are toast.
Can't Spielberg afford a better story? Well, Tom Hanks character in Saving Private Ryan was a school teacher?
Can't Spielberg afford a better story? Well, Tom Hanks character in Saving Private Ryan was a school teacher?
I left the DVR on but got too bored to watch it, Maybe in a rainstorm.
GatorFarmer
Member
The series has the same writer as Saving Private Ryan. Maybe Barry Pepper will show up with a sniper rifle. He already had experience fighting aliens - and killing his career - in Battlefield Earth.
Anyway, generally plausible motives for invasion include
"resupply underway" - ie something like how Navy ships used to stop on Pacific islands for water and fruit
Strategic value of the place - ala the island hopping campaign in WW2
A Chevauchee (Google it) or viking style raid because that's just what they (the invaders) do culturally.
Hunting - ala Predator. Look at all the backward places that great White hunters used to travel.
"Them is us"/they were here before - raptors evolved a civilization, left earth, came back, etc. Or the space Nazis that conquered the future have come back. (Which really happened, but it split the timeline....Eh, it's a long story.)
That we're wrong about how hard/easy is it to travel interstellar and that a technological base slightly better than ours, equal to, or maybe even inferior in some ways could do it.
The Skitters/cooties - the lizard like aliens are probably another slave race. The overlords that program the mechs are bipedal and likely humanoid if not fully "human". Rather than the Redcoats, they're more like the Hessians. Or maybe like sepoys I suppose. Rather than being the "real" enemy, they'll turn out to be a potential ally and Noah Wylie will be the George Washington that forms a new alliance, etc.
The alien overlords want biologicals to use as slave labor and/or need them for something else. Food maybe... Shrug.
Works for me. Recording the series for viewing when there is nothing else on that interests me. Game of Thrones and The Killing are done for now and still waiting for more Walking Dead and Breaking Bad so what the heck.
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